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/f/r/VESSIS; l Mix/wrong r ILPETERS, PHUTCPLITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON D c G. W. `WOOD, AND L..`O: WEBSTER, OF `UTICA, NEN YORK.

CANAL-LOCK GATE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,103, dated June 13, 1854:. i

To all whom #may concern:

being had tothe annexed drawing, making a part of this specificatiomin whichl A, B, is a perspective elevationof a single lock gate, C, D, being'the `trame of the principle gate; F, and Gr, the valve gates,` and E,

j the balance beam. j l

'lhe improvements herein intended to bedescribed, are `confined to the shackle bars H and 1;' the levers M, and N; and to their attachments and ixtures, the object` of the improvements being, to arrange the fixtures attached to the balance beam,`through which the powerisjapplied to move the valve gates,

\ insuch a manner as to facilitate as much as possible the opening and closing of these gates, and to provide also themeans of readjustment whenever any derangement shall take place, without being obliged to separate, or remove the fixtures.

In the annexed drawing it will be seen that the valve-gate F, is closed, and Gr, is open. If the lever N, should be raised, and thrown over by the side of the lever M, the gate Gr, would be closed also. But if instead of this leverM, should be raised, and

thrown over by the side of the lever N, the` gate F, would be opened, so that when the gates F, and G, are both open the levers M, and N, both lie together at N, each lever in the movement making the sweep of a half circle.

It will be seen by a close inspection of the drawing that the levers M, and N, are similar, and that eachis made hooked `at the end which is connected with the shackle bar; the fulcrum, or point of gyration being at O; and the said connection with the shackle bar being at P. The upper end of each shackle bar is also bent, as seen at I, and H, so that when the levers are thrown over in closing, both lying together on the side M, the point of connection P, in each is carried past its fulcrum O; and the tension of the rods K, and L, occasioned by any tendency of the valve gates F, and Gr, to open, pulling either directly upon the fulcrum O, or upon a line 1 back of it, will not raise the levers, and con- Be it known that we, GEORGE WV. WOOD and LUCIUs O. l/VEBsTER, of the city of Utica, in the county of Oneida and State of New` York, have invented certain ImprovementsI in the Means of Opening and Closing the,` Valve-Gatesof Locks on Canals; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full,i` clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference` sequently the valve-gates wil-l not be opened. On the other hand, if the levers M, and` N, or either of them is thrown at the side N,

`in opening, the point of connection P, will ofthe levers M, and N, to prevent the opening or closing of the valve gates, is` necessary. By this arrangement the levers M, and

N, either when the valve gateslare opened or closed, are thrown into a horizontal position, lying at the side of the balance beam,

entirely out of thev way of the tow line sweeping acrossthe lock as it often does, or of any other interfering object. By this arrangement also an extent of vertical movement of the valve rods K, and L, for the effectual opening and closing of the valve gates is `obtained equal to `the whole diameter of a circle,`the radius of which is of the length from 0,1to P; and this with the advantage of the short leverage O, P, against the power exerted, which extent of movement could not be obtained by the use of straight levers, nor without a longer adverse leverage, and a corresponding increase of the requisite power. Nor could the horizontal position of the levers, both when the gates are open and closed, be obtained by the use of straight levers, and the lifting from a point in the lever removed from its longitudinal line, and that point also thrown back of the fulcrum when the levers are at rest for the purpose of locking them in their horizontal position, is thus obtained by simply bending the levers as here described.

The length of the valve rods K, and L, is of course so adjusted, as completely to close the valve gates when the levers are in their proper horizontal position. But experience has shown that the `great wear to which these fixtures are subjected in dirty water, soon occasions looseness, and leakage of the valve gates. The valve rods must then be shortened, or the difficulty must be removed in some other way. For this purpose we have constructed the adjustable lever box R. It consists of the front plate R, and a corresponding plate in the rear of it, both resting loosely at the ends in the stationaryhead-blocks S, and T, which are -bolted firmly to the balance beam. These plates are held together by the bearing bolts O, which form the i'ulcrums of the two levers M, and N; or they may be otherwise bolted or secured; and the levers M, and N, move between them. They are also held in their position by the stationary bolts t, t, which being firmly fixed in the balance beam, project through vertical slots in the ends of' both the plates forming the lever box; the heads of these bolts spreading and holding the plates, while the bolts are loose within the slots, allowing a vertical movement to the lever boX. s

In the head blocks S, and T: besides the head plates u, and fu, which keep the lever boX in its longitudinal position, there are also the transverse plates W, and X, cast upon them, on which the weight of the lever box rests. Through these last mentioned plates are inserted, from beneath, the adjusting screws y, e; so that when by reason of the Wear aforesaid, or from any other cause the valve rods K, and L, require tightening up, raising or lowering as the case none of the machinery is taken up, or removed for this purpose. By this arrangement of the leverage, with the compact, and convenient disposition Aoit the levers here described, so as to form no obstruction to the necessary movements about the lock; and the ready adjustment here provided for of such derangements as are consequent upon the use of the gates; it is found that large valve gates necessary for the speedy filling and discharge oflarge canal locks, may be operated with great ease, safety and economy.

What we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. The hooked form of the levers M, and Y N, and the curving of the shackle bars H, and I, as described, and for the purposes described.

2. The adjustable lever-box above described, including the mode of adjusting the valve rods, and tightening the valvegates by the use of the screws y, a,l lor vtheir equivalent, as described. Y

3. We also claim thecombination of the 

